Ship{40 s hull

ABSTRACT

A ship&#39;&#39;s hull having a flat plate mounted above a keel-like portion formed of a rounded bow section, a cylindrical main section, and a conical stern section. The method of fabricating and assembling the hull.

United States Patent July 9, 1974 Simpson SHIPS HULL [76] inventor:Robert Simpson, PO. Box 159, [561 References CM Lantzville, BritishColumbia, UNITED STATES PATENTS Canada 3,133,130 6/1964 Morgan .1 115/39[22] Filed: Oct. 4, 1972 Primary Examiner-George E. A. Halvosa [21] Appl294884 Assistant Examiner-Sherman D. Basinger Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fetherstonhaugh & C0. [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 0C1. 2,1972 Canada 152973 [57] ABSTRACT 'A ships hull having a flat platemounted above a keel- [52] US. Cl 114/56, 1 14/56, 11114406613, cportion formed f a rounded b Section, a li drical main section, and aconical stern section, The [51] lnt.Cl B6311 1/04 B63b l/l2 th d ff d thh IL [58 Field 61 Search 114/56, 61, 6 3, 65 R, 40, me o a mg assem mg 6u 4 (Ilaims, 9 Drawing Figures mmmm 3.822.661

SHEH 2 (IF 2 SHIPS HULL My invention relates to an improved hull designand particularly to an inexpensive and effective method of constructingsame.

A vessel used for towing normally is provided with a hull of fairlyconventional design which often lacks some of the characteristics neededin a boat intended for pulling heavy loads, usually at relatively lowspeeds, and frequently in rough or at least choppy water. Such vesselsare costly to build and operate and should be provided with aboveaverage stability since there is always the danger that they might becapsized by their tows.

My hull design allows the engine and other weighty components of thevessel to be mounted so as to ensure a very low center of gravity whichprovides maximum stability. The hull has a keel portion constructed toreduce friction and provide a maximum flow of water over and around thepropeller which decreases propeller slip and results in greatermanoeuvrability. The design lends itself to manufacture by a simplecutting and welding process which elminates the need for costly lofting,cutting and assembling as in conventional construction methods.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a vessel provided with a hull inaccordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the vessel,

FIG. 3 is a plan taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3,

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are vertical sections taken respectively on the lines5-5, 66 and 77 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly of parts ofthe hull, and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of the hull.

The numeral 10 indicates generally a small tug provided with a hull 12which forms the basis of the pres ent invention; the hull comprising twomajor parts, a bottom plate 14 and a keel portion 16.

Plate 14 is formed of metal, preferably steel, which may be one and onequarter inches or more in thickness and this flat plate is cut or shapedso as to have approximately the same outline when viewed in plan as thedeck of thetug 10. Suitably secured to circumferential edge 18 of theplate 14, is an upstanding flange 19 which encloses the underside of thedeck structure and which connects with the bulwarks of the vessel. Thebottom plate 14 is provided with an elongated opening 20, seeparticularly FIG. 3, which opening is formed in the center of the metalplate to extend rearwardly from a point close to bow end 21 of the plateto a point spaced a suitable distance from stem end 22 of said plate.

The hollow keel portion 16 comprises a bow section 30, a main section31, and a stern section 32. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the metal bowsection 30 is substantially triagnular when viewed from the side and istrans versely curved in cross-section. Thus, section 30 has an upperedge 34 and a rear edge 35, the latter edge being disposed at rightangles to longitudinal axis 36 of said section. A

Main section 31 is a metal cylinder, see particularly FIGS. 4 and 6,with a portion cutaway to provide the sides of the section with upperedges 38 both which are disposed at the same acute angle to longitudinalaxis 39 of the section. Front edge 40 of section 31 slopes rearwardly atan oblique angle to axis 39 while rear edge 41 of said section isperpendicular thereto. It should be noted that bow section 30 and mainsection 31 have substantially the same radius of curvature.

The tubular metal cone used to form the stern section 32 has an upperportion cut away to provide a curved upper edge 45 which is parallel tolongitudinal axis 46 of said section. Front edge 47 of the section 32 isnormal to axis 46 and so is rear edge 48 which defines the small, openend of the conical section 32.

The edges 35 and 40 are welded together to form a strong, watertightseal therebetween. Similarly the edges 41 and 47 are joined together.The upper edges 34, 38 and 45 of the three sections making up the keelportion 16 define an opening 50 (FIG. 8) having a marginal edge 51 whichconforms in shape to marginal edge 52 of the opening 20, and these twomarginal edges are securely welded together again to form a strong,watertight seal. The axis 36 of the bow section is disposed at an obtuseangle to the axis 39 of the main section. Preferably, axis 39 isdisposed at an acute angle to the plate 14 so as to extend downwardlyand rearwardly therefrom.

The hull 12 contains the engine for the tug 10, the engine being shownby dotted lines in FIG. 1 enclosed by and suitably mounted in the mainsection 31. Propeller shaft 61 of the engine 60 extends rearwardlythrough the stern section 32 and is properly sealed and journalledtherein, this shaft being fitted with the usual propeller 62. A keelstrip 64 is secured to the underside of the main section 31 to extendrearwardly therefrom and the rear end of this strip, plus the bottomplate 14, rotatably supports a rudder 65.

As the tug 10 is driven forward through the water by the propeller 62,the rounded and enlarged bow section 30 breaks through the water andcauses it to flow around the cylindrical main section 31 as well as overand around the conical stern section 32 whereby near maximum drivingefficiency is achieved by the deeply immersed propeller. There isrelatively little interruption in water flow beneath the plate 14 andlongitudinally of the keel portion 16 and this reduces friction to aminimum. The water flow is such that the rudder 65 is extremelyeffective and therefore the vessel is particularly easy to maneuver withthe water flowing across and over the conical stem section 32 to ensurea very short turning radius. Since the tug 10 has a low center ofgravity due to the engine 60 being mounted in the main section 31, thevessel is exceptionally stable and cannot readily be capsized.

A ships hull of the above described design is exceptionally easy toconstruct by a process which will now be described. Referring to FIG.8,. a length of cylindrical tube is used to form the sections 30 and 31.An oblique cut is made across the tube 70 at an angle of approximately70 to the longitudinal axis of said tube, and this provides a shortlength 71 and a long length 72 of tubing. The short length 71 is rotatedabout its longitudinal axis and the two out edges (35 and 40) are thenwelded together. The rear edge 41 of the main section and the front edge47 of the stern section are also welded together and this completes theconstruction of the hull portion except'for the provision of the topopening 50 which subsequently is formed by cutting away the surplusmetal from the three sections. The keel section 16 is then joined to thebottom plate 14 and the marginal edges of the two openings 20 and 50 arewelded together to provide the above described hull.

Referring to FIG. 9, the numeral 80 indicates generally another vesselhaving a hull 82 comprising a bottom plate 83 and two transverselyspaced keel portions 84. The portions 84 are constructed in the abovedescribed manner to provide a hull having twin keels as is desirable insome types of vessels.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent I have provided a hull designwhich has the stability, water flow, and other characteristics which aredesirable particularly in a vessel using for purposes of towing such asis shown in FIG. 1, or for a ferry such as is shown in FIG. 9.Construction costs are considerably reduced over those of conventionaltug and ferry building methods due to the unique method of assemblingthe present hull.

I claim:

1. A tug boat having a rounded, blunt, bow and including a hullcomprising:

a flat bottom member extending across the full width of the boat fromone side to the other;

a keel portion depending from said flat bottom member extendinglongitudinally of the boat and comprising a plurality of edge weldedtubular sections each of which extends longitudinally of the boatincluding: a substantially cylindrical tubular bow section having alongitudinal axis sloping downwardly rearwardly from said bow andsecured to said bottom member in a manner presenting a blunt roundedbow; a substantially cylindrical main section secured to said flatbottom member rearwardly of said bow section having substantially thesame radius of curvature as said bow section, having a front end securedto the rear end of said bow section, and having its longitudinal axisdisposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis ofsaid bow section and downwardly rearwardly at an acute angle withrespect to said flat bottom member; and a conical stem section securedto said flat bottom member rearwardly of said main section. the forwardend of said conical stern member having substantially the same radius ofcurvature as the rear end of said main section and being securedthereto; said keel portion forming with said flat bottom member amarginal edge, the marginal edge of said bow section of said keelportion having a portion having a transverse dimension greater than thatof the remainder of said marginal edge.

2. A boat according to claim 1 wherein said flat bottom member has alongitudinally extending elongated opening formed therein and having amarginal edge and wherein said keel portion has a longitudinal openinghaving a marginal edge substantially conforming to the marginal edge ofsaid flat bottom member, said edges being in register.

3. A ships hull as claimed in claim 2, in which said marginal edges ofthe elongated opening and the longitudinal opening are welded together.

4. A ships hull as claimed in claim 1, in which said flat bottom platehas a circumferential edge fitted with an upstanding flange enclosingpart of the deck struc ture of the vessel.

1. A tug boat having a rounded, blunt, bow and including a hullcomprising: a flat bottom member extending across the full width of theboat from one side to the other; a keel portion depending from said flatbottom member extending longitudinally of the boat and comprising aplurality of edge welded tubular sections each of which extendslongitudinally of the boat including: a substantially cylindricaltubular bow section having a longitudinal axis sloping downwardlyrearwardly from said bow and secured to said bottom member in a mannerpresenting a blunt rounded bow; a substantially cylindrical main sectionsecured to said flat bottom member rearwardly of said bow section havingsubstantially the same radius of curvature as said bow section, having afront end secured to the rear end of said bow section, and having itslongitudinal axis disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to thelongitudinal axis of said bow section and downwardly rearwardly at anacute angle with respect to said flat bottom member; and a conical stemsection secured to said flat bottom member rearwardly of said mainsection, the forward end of said conical stem member havingsubstantially the same radius of curvature as the rear end of said mainsection and being secured thereto; said keel portion forming with saidflat bottom member a marginal edge, the marginal edge of said bowsection of said keel portion having a portion having a transversedimension greater than that of the remainder of said marginal edge.
 2. Aboat according to claim 1 wherein said flat bottom member has alongitudinally extending elongated opening formed therein and having amarginal edge and wherein said keel portion has a longitudinal openinghaving a marginal edge substantially conforming to the marginal edge ofsaid flat bottom member, said edges being in register.
 3. A ship''s hullas claimed in claim 2, in which said marginal edges of the elongatedopening and the longitudinal opening are welded together.
 4. A ship''shull as claimed in claim 1, in which said flat bottom plate has acircumferential edge fitted with an upstanding flange enclosing part ofthe deck structure of the vessel.